Push button signal light switch with removable indicia



June 8, 1965 B. R. LAUREN ETAL PUSH BUTTON SIGNAL LIGHT SWITCH WITH REMOVABLE INDIGIA Filed Dec. 18, 1962 INVENTORS ATTORNE yS PUSH BUTTON SIGNAL LIGHT SWITCH WITH REMOVABLE INDICIA Bernard R. Lauren, Louisville, and Buckley R. Reed,

Valley Station, Ky., assignors to K. M. White Company, Inc., Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky Filed Dec. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 245,501 8 Claims. (Cl. ZOO-4.67)

This invention relates to a button switch of the plunger type and, in particular, to an elevator button switch with a translucent face portion having associated therewith a removably mounted indicium element.

Elevator button switches are known having a translucent button element as part of a button housing with an indicium thereon and having a lamp housing associated therewith for lighting up the translucent face of the button. Generally, the indicium is molded, embossed or etched in the face of the button element, or otherwise made an integral part of the button, so that the indicium is fixed in place and cant be removed for replacement without detaching the button switch from its mounting support and removing the button element from its housing and replacing it.

It would be desirable to have a button switch in which the indicium element is not dependent on or made a part of the button element and which can be easily replaced by indicia of a variety of designs or colors.

It is thus an object of our invention to provide a button switch characterized by a novel combination of elements and, in particular, a button switch of the plunger type in which the indicium element is separate and distinct from the button element.

As another object we provide as an article of manufacture an elevator button switch of the plunger type having an indicium element which is removably associated with the button element and which is capable of being easily removed and replaced by another indicium element.

As a further object we provide in combination an elevator button switch with associated mounting and face plates, the switch having associated therewith a removable indicium element.

These and other objects will more clearly appear when taken in conjunction with the following disclosure and the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts in three dimensions an explosive view of one embodiment of thebutton switch showing the ar- FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of the button switch showing a face plate partially broken away and a wall mounting plate supporting the elements making up the switch;

FIG. 3 is a cross section of the button switch taken along line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 depicts an end view of the button housing and insulator block assembly, with the mounting and face plates in cross section.

In its broad aspect, the button switch comprises as one of its elements an insulator block having a lamp housing and electrical contact elements biased in an open position. The block has in cooperable and slidable relation with it a translucent plastic button housing having 'a button element which when depressed exerts pressure button housing, the housing being in slidable contact therewith and held in contact with the block by the United States Patent 3,188,437 Patented June 8, 1965 ice bracket. Means are employed for connecting the bracket to the block and provide a compact assembly of cooperable elements.

The various elements which make up a preferred embodiment of our invention are shown in the explosive view of FIG. 1 as comprising insulator block 1 having legs 2 and 3. The legs are separated by a lamp housing 4 whereby to provide slots 5 and 6 containing electrical contact elements 7, 7a and 8, 8a connected to an electric circuit not shown. Electric elements 7 and 8 are spring biased in the open position as shown and are adapted when depressed to touch contact elements 7a and 8a, respectively.

Each of the legs 2, 3 have cut outs 9 and 10 which are adapted to receive the projecting ends of a bracket to be described later. As a result of the cut outs, four posts 11 to 14 are provided to receive screws for fastening a bracket to the block.

A translucent button housing 15 of hard rigid plastic, e.g. nylon, of preferably hollow construction, is provided adapted to be slidably mounted over lamp housing 4 (note FIG. 4), the housing having two legs 16 and 17 which ride along the side surfaces of the lamp housing and touch the surface of spring elements 7 and 8 via its projections 18 and 19. The housing has a rectangular button element 20 which flanges outwardly as shown into leg portions 16 and 17. Next to the top of button 20 is indicium element 21 designed to coincide with the top of the button. The indicium element is likewise translucent and preferably made of nylon. The numeral 9 may be opaque and the field surrounding it translucent or vice versa. Associated with the numeral is the letter U to indicate the up button. Next to the indicium element is provided, although not necessarily, a color filter 22 of about the same size as the indicium element, in the event a particular translucent color is desired. This is followed by a cup-like retaining member 23, preferably of transparent plastic, which fits snugly over button element 26) and holds indicium element 21 in faying relationship against the surface of'the button together with the color filter, should a color filter be employed.

Bracket 25 is provided for holding the elements, including the block, together. The bracket, which is also preferably made of nylon, comprises a hollow rectangular sleeve portion 26 adapted to fit snugly about retaining member 23 on button element 20 in sliding relationship therewith. The bracket has a rectangular flange 27 in FIG. 3. i

with screw-receiving holes 28 at each corner thereof, a pair of opposite side portions of the flange being thickened in the middle as shown at 29 for attachment to mounting plate 30 shown in FIG. 4 via screws 31, while the bracket is fastened via its corners to the posts of the block by means of screws 35. The thickened portion 2h of the bracket flange is adapted to fit partially in recess 32 of button housing 15 and cut outs 9 and 10 of block 1 (note FIG. 1) when the bracket is fastened in place as shown in the end view of FIG. 4.

Because spring contact elements7 and 8 are biased in the open position, buttonhousing 15 is maintained in its outermost position as shown in FIG. 4. When pressure is applied to the top of button element 20, button housing 15 is caused to slide via its legs 16 and 117 along the side surfaces of lamp housing 4 and push elements 7 and 8 into contact with contacts 7a and 8a to complete the elevator circuit. Upon release of the pressure, the button housing is pushed back to its original position by virtue of the natural spring action of electric elements 7 and-8. The elements of the assembly are shown in cross section The rectangular sleeve portion of the bracket which surrounds the button element extends slightly beyond face plate 33 shown in FIG. 4 to provide a peripheral ridge or housing is assured against sleeve 26 of the bracket. using the same plastic composition of high surface finish varying designs and character.

lip 34 around and substantially flush with the button ele- 'are preferably made of hard smooth plastic so that plastic is riding on plastic. The button housing should be made of translucent material capable of dispersing light evenly. Nylon is preferred as the translucent plastic material, althrough other translucent plastic materials may be employed, such as the hard rigid material polymethyl methacrylate sold under the trademarks Lucite, Plexiglas, etc., cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose propionate, and the like. Preferably, the elements, other than the insulator block, should all be made of the same plastic composition having the same temperature coefiicient of expansion. By using the same composition, a freely movable button y throughout, or plastics having substantially the same properties, the sliding surfaces tend to be self-lubricating, nonab-rasive and non-flaking.

'As stated hereinbefore, the advantage of using a separate element for the indicia is that the indicia and the button elements can be made as stock items. The indicia may be in the form of numerals or they can be made of For example, the indicium element might comprise the trademark of a company. Whatever the indicia, they can be changed readily merely by removing face plate 33. The plastic retaining cover 23 may be lifted off fairly easily by prying, the numeral element removed and replaced by another and the retaining cover re-inserted and the face plate attached.

A color filter, such as element 21, may be used to suit interior decoration requirements where necessary. Or the color filter may be used on special holiday occasions; for

example, the color green might be used during such periods encompassing St. Patricks day and the like. Whatever the circumstances, the color filter like the indicium element can be removed or inserted easily without the necessity of taking the whole assembly apart as described herein above. While the button element is shown having a rectangular shape, it will be appreciated that it may be round or have any other desirable shape.

While the present invention has been described in conjunction with a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted .to Without departing from the spirit and scope' of the in- .eration with said block and said biased contact elements,

a removably mounted inidcium element of translucent plastic material in faying relationship with the top of said button element, a retaining member maintaining the indicium element in said faying relationship, bracket means which fit snugly about said button housing and through which said housing slides and is held in place in the insulator block, and means associated with said bracket and said block for connecting the two together.

2. An elevator button switch with a removably mounted indicium element comprising an insulator block having a lamp housing and electrical contact elements biasedin an open position, a plastic button housing having a translucent button element associated therewith, said button housing being in slidable cooperation with said block and V having means by which said button housing is maintained in cooperable relation with said block and said biased contact elements as the button housing is caused to slide into the block, a removably mounted indicium element of translucent plastic material in faying relationship with the top of said button element, a transparent plastic cup-like retaining member fitting snugly over the top of said button element for maintaining the indicium element in place,

plastic bracket means which fit snugly over said button housing and through which said housing slides and is held in place in the insulator block, and means associated with said bracket and said insulator block for connecting the two together.

3. An elevator button switch with removably mounted indicium element comprising an insulator block having a lamp housing and electrical contact elements biased in an open position; a plunger assembly comprising a plastic button housing having a translucent button element associated therewith, said button housing being in slidable cooperation with said block and having means by which said button housing is maintained in cooperable relation with said block and means whereby pressure applied to said plunger assembly is transferred to said biased contact elements as the button housing is caused to slide into the block, a removably mounted indicium element in faying relationship with the top of said button element, a transparent plastic cup-like retaining member fitting snugly over the top of said button element for maintaining the indicium element in place; plastic bracket means which fit snugly over said button housing and through which said housing slides and is held in place in the insulator block; and means associated with said bracket and said insulator block for connecting the two together.

4. The elevator button switch of claim 3 wherein the button housing, the retaining member and the bracket are all made of a hard rigid plastic having substantially the same properties.

5. The combination of an elevator button switch with removably mounted indicium element and wall mounting means comprising an insulator block having a lamp housing and electrical contact elements biased in an open position, a plastic button housing having a translucent button element associated therewith, said button housing being in slidable cooperation with said block and said biased contact elements, a removably mounted indicium element of translucent plastic material in faying relationship with the top of said button element, a retaining member maintaining the indicium element in place, bracket means which fit snugly about said button housing and through which said housing slides and is held in place in the insulator block, means associated with said bracket for fixedly mounting said bracket on said insulator block, wall mounting means having an opening therein for receiving said button housing, and means associated with the button relation with said block and said biased contact elements a as the button housing is caused to slide into the block, a removably mounted indicium element of, translucent plastic material in faying relationship with the top of said button element, a transparent plastic cup-like retaining member fitting snugly over the top of said button element for maintaining the indicium element in place, plastic bracket means which fit snugly about said button housing and through which said housing slides and is held in place in the insulator block, means associated withsaid bracket for fixedly mounting said bracket on said insulator block,

5 wall mounting means having an opening therein for receiving said button housing, and means associated with the button housing and the block by which they are connected to the mounting plate.

7. The combination of an elevator button switch with removably mounted indicfiim element and wall mounting means comprising an insulator block having a lamp housing and electrical contact elements biased in an open position; a plunger assembly comprising a plastic button housing having a translucent button element associated therewith, said button housing being in slidable cooperation with said block and having means by which said button housing is maintained in cooperable relation with said block and means whereby pressure applied to said plunger assembly is transferred to said biased contact elements as the button housing is caused to slide into the block, a removably mounted indicium element in faying relationship with the top of said button element, a transparent plastic cup-like retaining member fitting snugly over the top of said button element for maintaining the indicium element in place; plastic bracket means which fit snugly about said button housing and through which said housing slides and is held in place in the block; means associated with said bracket for fixedly mounting said bracket on said block; a mounting plate having an opening therein for receiving said button housing and through which a portion of the housing extends; means associated with the button housing and the block by which they are connected to the mounting plate; a face plate covering said mounting plate and having an opening in register with the opening of the mounting plate, and means connecting the face plate to the mounting plate.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein the plunger assembly and the bracket are made of hard rigid plastic having substantially the same properties.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ELEVATOR BUTTON SWITCH WITH REMOVABLY MOUNTED INDICIUM ELEMENT COMPRISING AN INSULATOR BLOCK HAVING A LAMP HOUSING AND ELECTRICAL CONTACT ELEMENTS BIASED IN AN OPEN POSITION, A PLASTIC BUTTON HOUSING HAVING A TRANSLUCENT BUTTON ELEMENT ASSOCIATED THEREWITH IN SLIDABLE COOPERATION WITH SAID BLOCK AND SAID BIASED CONTACT ELEMENTS, A REMOVABLY MOUNTED INIDCIUM ELEMENT OF TRANSLUCENT PLASTIC MATERIAL IN FAYING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TOP OF SAID BUTTON ELEMENT, A RETAINING MEMBER MAINTAINING THE INDICIUM ELEMENT IN SAID FAYING RELATIONSHIP, BRACKET MEANS WHICH FIT SNUGLY ABOUT SAID BUTTON HOUSING AND THROUGH WHICH SAID HOUSING SLIDES AND IS HELD IN PLACE IN THE INSULATOR BLOCK, AND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID BRACKET AND SAID BLOCK FOR CONNECTING THE TWO TOGETHER. 